Information collecting device

Abstract

An information collecting device (1) is provided with: a storage section (2) capable of storing information of a vehicle; a control section (C) that receives power supply from a power supply source through a power supply line (PL) without the aid of an ignition switch (IS), causes the storage section (2) to store information related to the vehicle (V); a communication section (3) capable of communicating with the outside; a main switch (MS) provided to the power supply line (PL); and a switch control section (4) that controls the on-off of the main switch (MS), wherein the switch control section (4) turns on the main switch (MS) according to an on signal of the ignition switch (IS) and turns off the main switch (MS) according to an off signal from the control section (C), the control section (C) causes the storage section (2) to store information when the ignition switch (IS) is on, the control section (C) transmits the information stored in the storage section (2) to the outside via the communication section (3) when the ignition switch (IS) is off, and outputs the off signal to the switch control section (4) after the information is transmitted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an information collection device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Roads are damaged by the effects of wheel loads borne by vehicles, temperature changes, or the influence of rain, and thus develop cracks, rutting, corrugation, or pot holes. In order to promptly grasp such damage to roads to perform maintenance management of roads, an operation for grasping the road surface condition of roads is performed on a daily basis.

[0003] As a method for grasping the road surface condition, the following method is generally adopted: an information collection device that collects information for grasping the unevenness of the road surface is provided in advance in an inspection vehicle, and the road surface condition is grasped by analyzing the information collected by the information collection device when the inspection vehicle is driven on the road. The information collection device, for example, collects information such as the angular velocity in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions, the acceleration in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, the distance between the vehicle body and the road surface, the travel speed of the inspection vehicle, the position information of the inspection vehicle, and the like, which are related to various aspects of the vibration information of the vehicle body of the inspection vehicle.

[0004] The information obtained by the sensors and the like when the inspection vehicle is driven on the road is transmitted to a server and stored via an Internet communication network or the like for later analysis of the road condition. In the analysis of the road condition, for example, the International Roughness Index is calculated. Furthermore, the International Roughness Index is an index in which a virtual vehicle model obtained by selecting only one wheel of a two-axle four-wheel vehicle is set as a Quarter-Car, and the ratio of the cumulative value of the up-down direction movement displacement of the vehicle when the Quarter-Car is driven on the road at a speed of 80 km / h to the travel distance is set as the roughness index of the road surface, which is an evaluation index of the unevenness of the pavement (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).

[0005] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0006] PATENT LITERATURE

[0007] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-108755 SUMMARY

[0008] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0009] As described above, the information collection device collects information related to road surface irregularities as the inspection vehicle travels on the road and then transmits the collected information to an external server, etc. This information transmission is performed by an operator. Furthermore, if the information collection device includes a drive capable of writing to a memory card, the operator may directly connect the memory card containing the information to the server to read the card.

[0010] In this way, in previous information collection devices, the operator was responsible for sending information. In addition, the information to be collected by the information collection device was mostly large-capacity data. It took a long time from the time the operator started the sending operation to the time the power of the information collection device was cut off after the sending was completed. Therefore, the sending operation placed a heavy burden on the operator.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information collection device that can reduce the workload of an operator.

[0012] Solutions for solving problems

[0013] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the information collection device of the present invention comprises: a control unit, which operates by receiving power from a power supply through a power supply line without the help of an ignition switch of the vehicle, so that a storage unit stores information related to the vehicle; a communication unit, which can communicate with the outside; a main switch, which is arranged on the power supply line; and a switch control unit, which controls the on and off of the main switch, wherein the switch control unit turns on the main switch according to the on signal of the ignition switch and turns off the main switch according to the off signal from the control unit. When the ignition switch is turned on, the control unit causes the storage unit to store information. When the ignition switch is turned off, the control unit sends the information stored in the storage unit to the outside via the communication unit, and outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit after sending the information.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the information collecting device of the present invention, the workload of the operator can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a vehicle equipped with an information collection device according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a system configuration of an information collection device according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the configuration of an information detection unit in an information collection device according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4This is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of an information collection device according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of an information collection device according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of an information collection device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the figures. Figure 1 As shown, an information collection device 1 according to one embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V as a four-wheeled vehicle, collects information and transmits the collected information to a server S installed at a base. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the information collection device 1 is constructed to include: a storage unit 2, which can store vehicle information; a control unit C, which receives power from a power supply B through a power supply line PL without the aid of an ignition switch IS of the vehicle, so that the storage unit 2 stores information; a communication unit 3, which can communicate with an external server S; a main switch MS, which is arranged on the power supply line PL; a switch control unit 4, which controls the on and off of the main switch MS; an information detection unit 5, which detects information; and an abnormality monitoring unit 6.

[0023] The following describes the various components of the information collection device 1 in detail. In this embodiment, power supply B is configured as a battery in the vehicle V. It is connected to a power circuit 7 via a power supply line PL on the vehicle, which does not pass through the ignition switch IS, via a main switch MS. This power circuit 7 supplies power from power supply B to the control unit C at a stable voltage. In this embodiment, since power supply B is a DC power source, power supply circuit 7 is configured as a DC-DC converter such as a switching regulator. However, any circuit capable of outputting a stable DC voltage from power supply B to the control unit C will suffice. Furthermore, power supply B may be a power source separate from the battery in the vehicle V.

[0024] Furthermore, a main switch MS is provided midway along the power supply line PL, between the power supply B and the power supply circuit 7. In this embodiment, the main switch MS is a switching element that switches on when a high-level signal is input from the switch control unit 4 and switches off when a low-level signal is input. However, in addition to a switching element, any switch that switches on and off under the control of the switch control unit 4, such as a relay, may be used. Furthermore, since the main switch MS can be any switch that switches on and off under the control of the switch control unit 4, a FET (field effect transistor) may also be used, which switches on when a low-level signal is input from the switch control unit 4 and switches off when a high-level signal is input.

[0025] In this embodiment, the switch control unit 4 detects a rise in the power supply voltage through the ignition switch when the ignition switch IS is turned on, and outputs a high-level signal to the main switch MS to turn on the main switch MS. Furthermore, upon receiving an off signal from the control unit C or the abnormality monitoring unit 6, the switch control unit 4 outputs a low-level signal to turn off the main switch MS. As in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, the switch control unit 4 can be configured as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the switch control unit 4 is constructed using a D-type flip-flop FF and an OR circuit (or circuit) OC. The flip-flop FF has an initialization terminal CLR to which the output signal of the OR circuit OC is input. The clock input terminal of the flip-flop FF receives the on signal of the ignition switch IS, and the D terminal of the flip-flop FF receives a high-level signal. Furthermore, the signal output from the Q terminal of the flip-flop FF is input to the main switch MS. As in this embodiment, the on signal of the ignition switch IS can be obtained from wiring connected to the ignition switch IS, or from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle V.

[0026] After the ignition switch IS is turned on, when the level of the voltage input to the input terminal and linked to the ignition switch rises from a low level (a voltage near 0V) to a high level (the battery voltage (12V, etc.)), the flip-flop FF takes in the high level input to the D terminal and switches the signal output from the Q terminal from a low level to a high level. The switch control unit 4 detects the increase in the vehicle power supply when the ignition switch IS is turned on as a signal for the ignition switch IS to be turned on. Then, when the Q terminal becomes high, a high-level signal is input to the main switch MS connected to the Q terminal, turning on the main switch MS, and power is supplied from the power supply B to the control unit C through the power supply circuit 7. In addition, when the initialization terminal CLR becomes high after the Q terminal is set to a high level, the flip-flop FF initializes the Q terminal to a low level. When the Q terminal becomes low, the main switch MS is disconnected, and the power supply from the power supply line PL to the power supply circuit 7 is stopped. Once the ignition switch IS is turned on and the main switch MS is turned on, the main switch MS remains on and continues to supply power to the control unit C regardless of the state of the ignition switch IS until the control unit C or the abnormality monitoring unit 6 turns off the main switch MS.

[0027] The control unit C uses a monitor circuit 15 to monitor the on / off state of the ignition switch IS. After the ignition switch IS is turned on, if the conditions for turning off the main switch MS are met, a high-level off signal is input to the A terminal of the OR circuit OC. Otherwise, the voltage at the A terminal of the OR circuit OC is kept low. Furthermore, the B terminal of the OR circuit OC is connected to the output terminal of the abnormality monitoring unit 6. If the abnormality monitoring unit 6 detects an abnormality in the control unit C, a high-level off signal is input to the B terminal of the OR circuit OC. Otherwise, the voltage at the B terminal of the OR circuit OC is maintained low.

[0028] Therefore, the OR circuit OC maintains the voltage of the initialization terminal CLR of the flip-flop FF at a low level when it does not receive an OFF signal from the control unit C or the abnormality monitoring unit 6. Therefore, when the ignition switch IS is turned on and the voltage of the Q terminal of the flip-flop FF becomes high, the voltage of the Q terminal remains high. On the other hand, when the OR circuit OC receives an OFF signal from the control unit C or the abnormality monitoring unit 6, it sets the voltage of the initialization terminal CLR of the flip-flop FF to a high level, thereby initializing the voltage of the Q terminal of the flip-flop FF to a low level.

[0029] Therefore, when the ignition switch IS is turned on, the flip-flop FF sets its Q terminal to a high level due to the rising edge of the on signal, turning on the main switch MS. Subsequently, upon receiving a high-level signal from the OR circuit OC, the flip-flop FF sets the voltage at its Q terminal to a low level, turning off the main switch MS. Furthermore, in this example, the switch control unit 4 operates using a power supply that is not interrupted by the main switch MS. The circuitry within this switch control unit 4 is very small, resulting in minimal power consumption.

[0030] The specific circuit configuration of the switch control unit 4 is merely an example, and the switch control unit 4 may also employ other circuit configurations to achieve the aforementioned operation of the switch control unit 4. Specifically, the switch control unit 4 may be configured to switch the main switch MS on in response to the on state of the ignition switch IS or a transition from off to on, and to switch the main switch MS off in response to an off signal from the control unit C or the abnormality monitoring unit 6. The circuit configuration can be arbitrarily modified.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the information detection unit 5 includes: a three-axis gyro sensor 5a, which is installed on the body of the vehicle V to detect the angular velocity around the three axes of the front and rear, left and right, and up and down of the body; an acceleration sensor 5b, which is installed on the body of the vehicle V to detect the acceleration of the three axes of the front and rear, left and right, and up and down of the body; four stroke sensors 5c, which detect the stroke amount of the shock absorber (not shown) installed between each of the four wheels of the vehicle V and the body; four acceleration sensors 5d, which detect the acceleration of each of the four wheels in the up and down direction; a camera 5e, which shoots the front of the vehicle V; and a position detection device 5f, which uses the global positioning satellite system to obtain the position information of the vehicle V. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to collecting information detected by the information detector 5, the information collection device 1 also collects information from onboard sensors via the CAN (Controller Area Network) bus Cb or the onboard diagnostics (OBD) system. These onboard sensors are pre-installed in the vehicle V and detect information such as the vehicle's speed, steering wheel angle, wiper actuation information, accelerator pedal opening, and brake operation information. Furthermore, if the vehicle V lacks onboard sensors, the information detector 5 may be configured to include information such as the vehicle's speed, steering wheel angle, wiper actuation information, accelerator pedal opening, and brake operation information. Furthermore, the information detector 5 may be configured to not include sensors that obtain the same information as that obtained from the onboard sensors. If all desired information can be obtained directly from the onboard sensors, the information detector 5 may be omitted. In this embodiment, vehicle vibration information, which is necessary for determining road properties, is primarily collected, but the information to be collected is not limited to vibration information.

[0032] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, the three-axis gyro sensor 5a and the accelerometer 5b are analog sensors that detect angular velocity and acceleration at the same sampling rate. The four stroke sensors 5c are analog sensors that detect stroke displacement at a sampling rate different from that of the three-axis gyro sensor 5a and the accelerometer 5b. The four acceleration sensors 5d are digital sensors with a sampling rate different from that of the three-axis gyro sensor 5a, the acceleration sensor 5b, and the stroke sensor 5c. Furthermore, the camera 5e and the position detection device 5f also detect information at unique sampling rates.

[0033] The storage unit 2 is controlled by the control unit C and stores information detected by the information detection unit 5 and the onboard sensors in accordance with instructions from the control unit C. The storage unit 2 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as flash memory, but is not limited to flash memory and may also be a magnetic disk. Alternatively, the storage unit 2 may include an auxiliary storage device composed of a storage medium such as an optical disk and a drive capable of reading and writing data from the storage medium.

[0034] The communication unit 3 is controlled by the control unit C and is capable of communicating with an external server S. The communication unit 3 is used to transmit information and other data stored in the storage unit 2 to the server S. The communication unit 3 includes an antenna unit (not shown) and, in this embodiment, performs wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0035] The control unit C includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10, a memory 11, an interface 12, and a bus 14 for interconnecting these devices so that they can communicate with each other. Furthermore, the control unit C includes a reset circuit 13 and a monitor circuit 15. Furthermore, the control unit C is interconnected with the storage unit 2 and the communication unit 3 via the bus 14 so that they can communicate with each other. Furthermore, the control unit C is connected to the information detection unit 5 via the interface 12, enabling it to receive information detected by the information detection unit 5. Furthermore, the control unit C can receive information detected by vehicle-mounted sensors via the interface 12 and the CAN bus Cb.

[0036] The CPU 10 controls the storage unit 2 and communication unit 3 in the information collection device 1 by executing an operating system and other programs. It also processes various types of information detected by the information detection unit 5 and on-board sensors. The memory 11 includes not only ROM (Read Only Memory) but also RAM (Random Access Memory) to provide storage area required for CPU 10's computational processing. The programs used by the CPU 10's computational processing are stored in the ROM. Furthermore, the programs used by the CPU 10's computational processing may also be stored in the storage unit 2.

[0037] When the main switch MS is turned on, the reset circuit 13 sends a reset signal to the CPU 10. Upon receiving the reset signal, the CPU 10 is initialized and can start up in a stable state.

[0038] In this embodiment, monitor circuit 15 is a comparator circuit whose output varies depending on the voltage of the power supply from ignition switch IS. When ignition switch IS is on, for example, if the voltage supplied by ignition switch IS is 8V or higher, monitor circuit 15 outputs a high-level signal to CPU 10. When ignition switch IS is off and the voltage supplied is less than 8V, monitor circuit 15 outputs a low-level signal to CPU 10. Furthermore, the voltage to be compared can be arbitrarily determined based on the voltage supplied from ignition switch IS. Therefore, the voltage to be compared can be set to a value other than 8V, and the voltage to be compared can also include hysteresis due to transitions from low to high and from high to low. Monitor circuit 15 can also be a circuit other than a comparator circuit, as long as it can output a high-level voltage when ignition switch IS is on and a low-level voltage when ignition switch IS is off, for input to CPU 10. Furthermore, the monitor circuit 15 only needs to output a high-level signal when the power supply voltage is input to the input terminal in response to the ignition switch IS being turned on. Therefore, a circuit configuration other than a comparator circuit may be employed.

[0039] Then, the control unit C processes the various information detected by the information detection unit 5 and the vehicle-mounted sensor and generates files by executing the program required for the CPU 10 to function as the information collection device 1, causing the storage unit 2 to store the files, and then sending the files stored in the storage unit 2 from the communication unit 3 to the external server S.

[0040] Specifically, after the ignition switch IS is turned on, the switch control unit 4 turns on the main switch MS, thereby receiving power and activating the control unit C. At the end of the startup process, the control unit C executes a log collection process (logger process) and stores it in the storage unit 2. This log collection process associates each piece of information detected by the information detection unit 5 and the onboard sensors with the time at which the information was obtained, and generates a file set at a predetermined information accumulation time interval, recording each piece of information detected by the information detection unit 5 and the onboard sensors during that information accumulation time.

[0041] Specifically, the control unit C executes the log collection process to record information detected by sensors of the same type and with the same sampling rate into one file.

[0042] Specifically, taking the information obtained from the aforementioned information detection unit 5 as an example, if the information accumulation period is set to one minute, the control unit C associates the angular velocity and vehicle body acceleration detected by the three-axis gyro sensor 5a and the acceleration sensor 5b, both analog sensors with the same sampling rate, with the time at which the information was obtained, and stores the angular velocity and acceleration data obtained during the one-minute information accumulation period in the form of a single file in the storage unit 2. Similarly, the control unit C associates the stroke displacement detected by the four stroke sensors 5c, also analog sensors with the same sampling rate, with the time at which the information was obtained, and stores the stroke displacement data obtained during the one-minute information accumulation period in the form of a single file in the storage unit 2. Furthermore, the control unit C associates the acceleration of each of the four wheels detected by the four acceleration sensors 5d with the time at which the acceleration was obtained, and stores the four acceleration data obtained during the one-minute information accumulation period in the form of a single file in the storage unit 2. Furthermore, the control unit C associates the image data captured by the camera 5e with the time at which the image data was obtained, and stores the image data obtained over a two-second period in the storage unit 2. Furthermore, the control unit C associates the position information detected by the position detector 5f with the time at which the position information was obtained, and stores the position information data obtained over a one-minute information accumulation period in the storage unit 2 as a single file. Therefore, for example, if the information collection device 1 collects various information over a one-hour period, 60 files each of angular velocity and acceleration, stroke displacement, wheel acceleration, and position information are generated and stored in the storage unit 2. However, since an image file is generated every two seconds, 1,800 image files are generated and stored in the storage unit 2.

[0043] The control unit C associates information groups obtained from the OBD terminal, such as the steering angle and wiper signals obtained by onboard sensors, with the time when each information was obtained from the OBD terminal. The control unit C generates a file for storing these information groups at each information accumulation time and stores the file in the storage unit 2. Alternatively, the control unit C may store various types of information obtained within the same information accumulation time in the storage unit 2, or may store all information in the storage unit 2 in a single unified file.

[0044] Furthermore, when the control unit C receives a low-level signal from the monitor circuit 15 after the ignition switch IS is turned off, it recognizes that the ignition switch IS is off and terminates the process of collecting information from the information detector 5 and the onboard sensors and generating a file, i.e., the log collection process. In this case, even if the information accumulation time has not yet expired, the control unit C will store the unfiled information in the storage unit 2 after generating a file using the above method.

[0045] When the information is converted into files, the control unit C executes a transmission process to send the file containing the information to the server S via the communication unit 3. Specifically, once communication between the communication unit 3 and the server S has been established, the control unit C simultaneously sends multiple files stored in the storage unit 2, eight files in this embodiment, to the server S. For example, by using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) to transmit files, multiple files can be sent simultaneously. The control unit C lists all files stored in the storage unit 2 in descending order and sends the files sequentially according to the list. The control unit C sends the eight files simultaneously to the server S via the communication unit 3. Each time a file is transmitted and the server S confirms that it has reliably received the information, the control unit C deletes the transmitted file from the storage unit 2 and selects the file with the highest order in the list from the unsent files to send. In other words, the control unit C simultaneously processes eight transmission processes, and in each transmission process, it continuously deletes the transmitted file from the storage unit 2 when the transmission of a file is completed and sends the files sequentially according to the list. The number of files to be sent at one time may be a maximum value set to a number specified in a setting file previously recorded in the storage unit 2 , and may be one or more, and may not be eight.

[0046] When the control unit C performs the file sending processing in this manner and completes the sending of all files stored in the list, it ends the file transfer process and, if necessary, implements the end processing of the operating system executed by the control unit C and outputs a high-level disconnection signal to the OR circuit OC of the switch control unit 4 via the interface 12.

[0047] Even when the ignition switch IS is turned off, the voltage at the Q terminal of the flip-flop FF in the switch control unit 4 remains high until a high-level off signal is input to the initialization terminal. Therefore, the main switch MS does not immediately turn off when the ignition switch IS is turned off.

[0048] Furthermore, even when the ignition switch IS is turned off, the control unit C receives power from the power supply B, executes the transfer process after completing the log collection process, and does not output a disconnection signal until all files have been sent. In the absence of a disconnection signal from the control unit C and an abnormality monitoring unit 6, the switch control unit 4 maintains the main switch MS in the on state. Therefore, even when the ignition switch IS is turned off, the control unit C can continue to receive power from the power supply B until all files have been sent.

[0049] Furthermore, upon receiving a low-level signal, i.e., an ignition switch IS OFF signal, from the monitor circuit 15, the control unit C starts a timer. If the timer counts for a predetermined communication permission time period or longer, all currently executing transmission processes are terminated, and the low-level signal is switched to a high-level OFF signal via the interface 12 and output to the OR circuit OC of the switch control unit 4. In this embodiment, the communication permission time period is set to 55 minutes.

[0050] In this embodiment, all ongoing transmission processes are forcibly stopped if the communication permission time has expired. Files still in progress at the time of the forced stop are stored in storage unit 2 and retained. Control unit C deletes files that have already been transmitted from storage unit 2. Therefore, if a transmission process is forcibly terminated after the communication permission time has expired, only unsent files remain in storage unit 2. Control unit C creates a list, starting with the earliest file, and then sends files to server S in the order of the list. Therefore, after the ignition switch IS is turned on to activate the information collection device 1, when the ignition switch IS is turned off to enter a communication state, files remaining in storage unit 2 that have not been transmitted due to a counted time exceeding the communication permission time are preferentially transmitted to server S. Furthermore, if the communication permission time has expired, control unit C retransmits files that were in progress from the beginning the next time the ignition switch IS is turned off.

[0051] The output of the monitor circuit 15 is also input to the abnormality monitoring unit 6. Similar to the control unit C, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 counts the time after the ignition switch IS is turned off. When the counted time exceeds the abnormality determination time, which is set to be longer than the communication enable time, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 determines that the control unit C is abnormal, switches the low-level signal to a high-level OFF signal, and outputs the signal to the OR circuit OC of the switch control unit 4. In this embodiment, the abnormality determination time is set to 60 minutes. When the counted time after the ignition switch IS is turned off is 60 minutes or longer, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 switches the low-level signal to an OFF signal and outputs the signal to the OR circuit OC of the switch control unit 4.

[0052] As described above, the control unit C outputs an OFF signal to the OR circuit OC when the time after the ignition switch IS is turned off exceeds the communication permission time. However, there are cases where an abnormality occurs in the processing of the control unit C or the control unit C itself, preventing the OFF signal from being output. Even in this case, since the abnormality monitoring unit 6 outputs a high-level OFF signal to the OR circuit OC when the time counted from the turning off of the ignition switch IS exceeds the abnormality determination time, a high-level signal is input to the initialization terminal CLR of the flip-flop FF, initializing the voltage at the Q terminal to a low level, thereby turning off the main switch MS. As a result, the power supply to the control unit C is interrupted, and the operation of the control unit C ceases. Therefore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, even if an abnormality occurs in the control unit C, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 can forcibly stop the power supply from the power supply B.

[0053] Server S, which receives files from information collection device 1 as described above, is installed at the base of vehicle V. Although not shown, server S is a computer system comprising: a processing unit; a storage device that stores information received from information collection device 1, stores programs required for controlling server S and processing and analyzing said information, and provides storage area required for processing by the processing unit; an input device that receives input from an operator using a keyboard, mouse, or other device; a display device; and a bus that interconnects these devices to enable communication. Alternatively, server S may be a cloud server on the Internet.

[0054] A parking space for vehicle V is provided at the base where server S is installed. A communication unit 20 is installed closest to the parking space, capable of wireless LAN communication with communication unit 3 in information collection device 1. Communication unit 20 is equipped with an antenna unit (not shown) and is connected to server S. Server S receives files transmitted from information collection device 1 via communication unit 20. Communication unit 20 and server S can also be connected via a wired connection. If the distance between the parking space and server S is long, wireless communication can be performed between communication unit 20 and server S via a repeater (not shown) or the Internet.

[0055] Upon receiving the file containing the aggregated information from the information collection device 1, the server S stores the file in a database (not shown). The operator of the server S analyzes the file, for example, to calculate the international roughness index and to understand other road characteristics.

[0056] The information collection device 1 of this embodiment is constructed as described above and operates by executing the processing process described below. When the ignition switch IS is turned on, the information collection device 1 automatically starts, collects information and stores it in the storage unit 2. When the ignition switch IS is turned off, the information collection device 1 automatically sends the information stored in the storage unit 2 to the server S in sequence. Figures 4 to 6 The specific processing procedure of the information collecting device 1 is described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown.

[0057] When the ignition switch IS is turned on and receives power supply, the information collection device 1 starts (step F1). Then, the control unit C determines whether the ignition switch IS is in the disconnected state (step F2). When it is determined in the judgment of step F2 that a low-level signal is input from the monitor circuit 15 and the ignition switch IS is in the disconnected state, the control unit C executes a wireless connection command to establish a wireless connection between the communication unit 3 and the communication unit 20 in order to send the file stored in the storage unit 2 to the server S (step F3). This situation is a situation where the ignition switch IS is disconnected shortly after being temporarily turned on. The control unit C determines whether wireless communication between the communication unit 3 and the communication unit 20 is established by executing the wireless connection command (step F4). If wireless communication is not established, it determines whether the number of consecutive executions of the wireless connection command is less than the pre-set number of trial connections (step F5). If the number of executions of the wireless connection command is less than the number of trial connections, the process returns to step F3 to execute the wireless connection command. The wireless connection command continues to be executed, and the process for determining whether a wireless communication connection has been established continues. If, in step F5, the control unit C determines that the number of consecutive executions of the wireless connection command exceeds the number of connection attempts, it terminates the operating system (step F6), then terminates all ongoing processes and outputs a disconnect signal to the switch control unit 4 (step F7). When the control unit C outputs the disconnect signal, the main switch MS opens, stopping the power supply from the power supply B to the control unit C. The failure to establish wireless communication between the communication unit 3 and the communication unit 20 despite the execution of the wireless connection command may be due to the vehicle V being outside the base and unable to communicate with the communication unit 20, or to an abnormality in the information collection device 1, the communication unit 20, or the server S, preventing communication.

[0058] The operator of a vehicle V equipped with the information collection device 1 may park the vehicle V at locations other than the base, such as a stopover or a gas station. Consequently, there are many opportunities for the ignition switch IS to be turned off while the vehicle V is not in the base's parking space. Thus, if the ignition switch IS is turned off while the vehicle V is parked outside the base's parking space, the information collection device 1 cannot establish wireless LAN communication with the communication unit 20. Therefore, the transmission process for the transmitted file is automatically terminated without executing, allowing the main switch MS to be quickly turned off.

[0059] After the control unit C is activated, if it determines in step F2 that the ignition switch IS is on, the control unit C executes a log collection process. During this process, it collects information from the information detection unit 5 and the onboard sensors to generate a file and stores the generated file in the storage unit 2 (step F8). During the execution of the log collection process, the control unit C continuously monitors the on / off status of the ignition switch IS and continuously determines whether the ignition switch IS is off (step F9). If the ignition switch IS is off, the control unit C terminates the log collection process (step F10) and transfers to step F3 to execute the wireless communication command.

[0060] Furthermore, if the control unit C determines in step F4 that wireless communication has been established between the communication unit 3 and the communication unit 20, it starts a timer process in which it counts the time since the ignition switch IS was turned off (step F11). Next, the control unit C retrieves the list of files stored in the storage unit 2 (step F12) and starts a new transfer process to transfer the files from the communication unit 3 to the server S (step F13). While executing the transfer process, the control unit C also executes the timer process to continuously count the time since the ignition switch IS was turned off. As described above, the control unit C simultaneously initiates up to eight transfer processes, simultaneously transferring eight files to the server S. During each transfer process, the control unit C selects the oldest unsent file in the list in the order listed and sends the selected file from the communication unit 3 to the server S. Upon receiving a code from the server S indicating receipt of the file, the control unit C deletes the selected file from the storage unit 2 and then terminates the transfer process. The control unit C monitors the processing of each transmission process, checks whether a predetermined number of the transmission processes have been executed for each transmission process (step F14), and returns to step F13 if there is a gap in the transmission process to start a new transmission process (step F13).

[0061] After a pre-specified number of transmission processes have been executed, the state of the ignition switch IS is checked (step F15). If the ignition switch IS is on, the timer process ends (step F16), and the control unit C waits for the completion of all transmission processes it has executed (step F17). Then, when all transmission processes have concluded, the control unit C proceeds to step F8 to start the log collection process and begin collecting information. This is equivalent to the case where the operator resets the vehicle to the start measurement state before data transmission is completed.

[0062] On the other hand, if the control unit C determines in step F15 that the ignition switch IS is maintained in the OFF state, it determines whether the time obtained by counting the timer process started in the processing of step F11 is equal to or longer than the time obtained by subtracting the time required to send the file recording the information collected within the prescribed information accumulation time from the communication permission time, for example, equal to or longer than 50 minutes (step F18). Figure 5 As shown, as long as the timer process is not terminated in the processing of step F16, the control unit C executes the timer process in parallel with the execution of the transfer process for performing file transfer.

[0063] If the control unit C determines in step F18 that the counted time is less than 50 minutes, the process proceeds to step F19 to determine whether a file to be transferred remains untransmitted. If the result of this determination is that an untransmitted file remains, the control unit C returns to the process of confirming whether there is time to start the transfer process to transfer the file (step F14).

[0064] If the result of the judgment is that there are no remaining untransmitted files and no remaining files in the storage unit 2, the control unit C waits for the end of the currently executing transfer process (step F20), performs the end processing of the operating system (step F21), and then ends all executing processes and outputs a disconnect signal to the switch control unit 4 (step F22).

[0065] On the other hand, if the control unit C determines in step F18 that the time counted in the timer process is more than 50 minutes, it will not start a new transmission process. In other words, when the time counted in the timer process exceeds 50 minutes, the control unit C will continue to execute the currently executing transmission process, but will not start a new transmission process and will enter the preparation for terminating the transmission process. Next, the control unit C performs the judgment process of step F18. If it is determined that the time counted is more than 50 minutes, it will transfer to step F23 to check whether all transmission processes have ended (step F23). If not all processes have ended, it will further determine whether the time counted in the timer process has passed the communication permission time of more than 55 minutes after the judgment in step F18 (step F24).

[0066] On the other hand, when all processes have ended, the process proceeds to step F21 and the end processing of the operating system is executed.

[0067] If the counted time is less than 55 minutes, the control unit C proceeds to step F23 to check the end of the transmission process. If the counted time exceeds 55 minutes, the transmission process is forcibly ended (step F25) and then proceeds to step F21.

[0068] Specifically, the control unit C adds the 50 minutes used as the basis for the processing in step F18 and the 5 minutes in step F24, resulting in a total of 55 minutes, to the pre-specified communication permission time. The control unit then determines whether the time since the ignition switch IS was turned off has exceeded the communication permission time of 55 minutes. If the counted time exceeds 50 minutes, the control unit C does not initiate a new transmission process and instead continues processing the currently executing transmission process for the next 5 minutes. Because the time required to transmit a file containing information collected during the short information accumulation time (set to approximately 1 minute) is less than 5 minutes, the control unit C waits for the transmission process to terminate through the processing in steps F23 and F24.

[0069] If the control unit C determines in step F23 that 55 minutes have elapsed, it forcibly stops all currently executing transfer processes, regardless of whether all transfer processes have ended (step F25). The control unit C then proceeds to step F21, terminates the operating system, and outputs an OFF signal to the switch control unit 4 (step F22).

[0070] In addition, when the control unit C is unable to output a disconnection signal to the switch control unit 4 until 5 minutes have passed after 55 minutes, which is the communication permission time, due to an abnormality in the information collection device 1, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit 4, so that the main switch MS performs a disconnection action, the power supply to the control unit C is interrupted, and the operation of the control unit C stops.

[0071] As described above, the information collection device 1 includes: a storage unit 2, which is capable of storing information; a control unit C, which receives power from a power supply via a power supply line PL that does not pass through the vehicle's ignition switch IS, so that the storage unit 2 stores information related to the vehicle V; a communication unit 3, which is capable of communicating with a server (external) S; a main switch MS, which is arranged on the power supply line PL; and a switch control unit 4, which controls the on and off of the main switch MS, wherein the switch control unit 4 turns on the main switch MS according to a turn-on signal from the vehicle's ignition switch IS, and turns off the main switch MS according to a turn-off signal from the control unit C. When the ignition switch IS is turned on, the control unit C causes the storage unit 2 to store information. When the ignition switch IS is turned off, the control unit sends the information stored in the storage unit 2 to the outside via the communication unit 3, and outputs a turn-off signal to the switch control unit 4 after sending the information.

[0072] The information collecting apparatus 1 configured as such receives power supply from the power supply B through the power supply line PL without passing through the ignition switch IS of the vehicle, and thus can control the power supply and cut-off to the control section C, the storage section 2, and the communication section 3 by itself by the control of the switch control section 4. Further, the switch control section 4 of the information collecting apparatus 1 supplies power to the control section C, the storage section 2, and the communication section 3 from the power supply B according to the on signal of the ignition switch IS of the vehicle, and cuts off the power supply to the control section C, the storage section 2, and the communication section 3 by turning off the main switch MS according to the off signal from the control section C. When the ignition switch IS is on, the main switch MS is on, and thus the control section C receives power supply from the power supply B, collects information, and causes the storage section 2 to store the information, and when the ignition switch IS is off, the control section C transmits the information stored in the storage section 2 to the outside via the communication section 3, and outputs a signal (off signal) for turning off the main switch MS to the switch control section 4 after the transmission of the information. Thus, according to the information collecting apparatus 1, when the operator of the vehicle V turns on the ignition switch IS to cause the vehicle V to travel, the information obtained when the vehicle V travels is automatically collected without any operation of the operator, and when the operator turns off the ignition switch IS, the information is automatically transmitted to the outside without any operation of the operator, and then the main switch MS is automatically turned off. Since the information collecting apparatus 1 automatically turns off the main switch MS when the transmission of the information to the outside is finished, the operator also does not need to stay near the information collecting apparatus 1 until the transmission processing that takes a long time is finished. As described above, the information collecting apparatus 1 does not require the operator to perform an operation other than the on / off operation of the ignition switch IS, and thus can significantly reduce the work burden of the operator.

[0073] Further, the communication section 3 of the information collecting apparatus 1 of the present embodiment simultaneously and in parallel transmits a plurality of pieces of information stored in the storage section 2. In the case where the information forming files is transmitted one by one, in general, in the case where communication is performed using TCP / IP, when a server S on the outside as a transmission destination receives information from the information collecting apparatus 1 as a transmission source, negotiation of request / response is required between the two, and thus a waiting time is generated, and in the case where a large number of small files in which the information of about 1 minute is stored are transmitted, the time lost becomes large, but if a plurality of (8 in the present embodiment) pieces of the information forming files are transmitted in parallel as in the information collecting apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the other information can be continuously transmitted during the period for waiting for confirmation after the transmission of one piece of information is finished, and thus even if the time required for negotiation is generated, efficiency of the transmission of information can be achieved, and the transmission time of the information can be shortened.

[0074] Setting a longer information accumulation time and increasing file size can improve transmission throughput. However, if the vehicle V is parked at the base where the server S is located for only a short time, file transmission cannot be completed and transmission is interrupted, requiring the file to be transmitted from the beginning the next time the vehicle is parked. In contrast, if the information collection device 1 of this embodiment sets the information accumulation time to approximately one minute, for example, after a vehicle leaves the base, returns to the base for use, and then leaves again after approximately five minutes of parking, several files stored in the storage unit 2 can be transmitted to the server S even when the vehicle is parked at the base for a short period of time.

[0075] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, if the communication unit 3 fails to establish communication with the server (external) S after performing a predetermined number of consecutive connection attempts or more, the control unit C does not transmit information via the communication unit 3 but instead outputs a disconnect signal to the switch control unit 4. With this configuration, even if the vehicle V is parked in a location where no vehicle V is within range to communicate with the server (external) S, the main switch MS is automatically disconnected without unnecessary information transmission. Consequently, the information collection device 1 can suppress wasteful power consumption by the power source B and, if the power source B is the battery of the vehicle V, prevent battery depletion.

[0076] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit C aggregates information groups obtained at the same sampling rate at predetermined information accumulation times to generate a file and causes the storage unit 2 to store the file. When the file transmission via the communication unit 3 is completed, the transmitted file is deleted from the storage unit 2. According to the information collection device 1 constructed in this manner, there is no need to worry about the same information being transmitted to the server (external) S multiple times. Since the transmitted files are deleted from the storage unit 2, the memory resources of the storage unit 2 are not occupied by unnecessary files. Moreover, since information obtained at the same sampling rate is recorded in a single file even if it is different types of information, the data volume does not increase compared to generating files one by one for each type of vehicle information, and thus memory resources can be used efficiently.

[0077] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, when the ignition switch IS is turned on while the communication unit 3 is transmitting information stored in the storage unit 2, the control unit C stops transmitting the information and causes the storage unit 2 to store new information sequentially acquired during driving. With this configuration of the information collection device 1, even in situations where the vehicle V may be traveling while transmitting information, the information is stopped, information is collected, and stored in the storage unit 2. This allows efficient information collection without missing opportunities to collect information due to transmitting information.

[0078] Furthermore, the information collection device 1 of this embodiment further includes an information detection unit 5 for collecting information related to the vehicle V. Therefore, even if the vehicle V does not have a function of collecting information, information can be directly collected by providing the information detection unit 5 to the vehicle V.

[0079] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, when the communication permission time has elapsed since the ignition switch IS was turned off, the control unit C outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit 4, even if all information stored in the storage unit 2 has not yet been transmitted to the server (external) S. With the information collection device 1 thus configured, there is no possibility of information being transmitted indefinitely, and thus the consumption of electric energy of the power source B can be suppressed. When the battery of the vehicle V is used as the power source B, battery depletion can be prevented.

[0080] The information collection device 1 of this embodiment further includes an abnormality monitoring unit 6. If the main switch MS does not open even after an abnormality determination time (set to a value longer than the communication enable time) has elapsed since the ignition switch IS was turned off, the abnormality monitoring unit 6 outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit 4. With this configuration, even if an abnormality arises during processing by the control unit C and the disconnection signal cannot be output, the main switch MS can be forcibly disconnected, thereby preventing further power consumption. Therefore, the information collection device 1 can suppress the consumption of electrical energy from the power source B, preventing battery depletion when the battery of the vehicle V is used as the power source B.

[0081] Furthermore, in the information collection device 1 of this embodiment, a timer counts the time from the time the ignition switch IS is turned off. After 50 minutes, the currently executing process is executed without starting a new transmission process. After 55 minutes, the executing transmission process is forcibly terminated. If, due to an abnormality in the information collection device 1, the control unit C is unable to output a disconnection signal to the switch control unit 4, power to the hardware is forcibly shut off after 60 minutes. Therefore, the information collection device 1 of this embodiment incorporates the aforementioned three methods for preventing power consumption, and when the battery of the vehicle V is used as the power source B, battery depletion can be reliably prevented.

[0082] As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention was described in detail, it is possible to make modifications, variations, and changes without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0083] Description of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1: Information collection device; 2: Storage unit; 3: Communication unit; 4: Switch control unit; 5: Information detection unit; 6: Abnormality monitoring unit; B: Power supply; C: Control unit; IS: Ignition switch, PL: Power supply line; MS: Main switch.

Claims

1. An information collection device, characterized in that: have: a storage unit capable of storing vehicle information; a control unit configured to receive power from a power supply via a power supply line not passing through an ignition switch of the vehicle and cause the storage unit to store the information; a communication unit capable of communicating with the outside; a main switch provided on the power supply line; as well as a switch control unit for controlling the main switch to be turned on and off; The switch control unit turns on the main switch according to the on signal of the ignition switch and turns off the main switch according to the off signal from the control unit. When the ignition switch is turned on, the control unit causes the storage unit to store the information. When the ignition switch is turned off, the control unit transmits the information stored in the storage unit to the outside via the communication unit, and outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit after transmitting the information. The control unit generates a file that records information obtained at the same sampling rate in a summary manner at every predetermined information accumulation time, and causes the storage unit to store the file. When the transmission of the file via the communication unit is completed, the transmitted file is deleted from the storage unit. When the time obtained by subtracting the time required to send the file recording the information collected within the specified information accumulation time from the specified communication permission time has passed since the ignition switch was turned off, the control unit does not send any new files other than the file being sent even if all the information stored in the storage unit has not been sent to the outside. When the specified communication permission time has passed, the control unit outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit.

2. The information collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The communication unit transmits the plurality of pieces of information stored in the storage unit simultaneously and in parallel.

3. The information collection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the communication unit fails to establish communication with the outside after continuously performing a predetermined number of connection attempts or more, the control unit does not transmit the information via the communication unit but outputs a disconnection signal to the switch control unit.

4. The information collection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the ignition switch is turned on while the communication unit is transmitting the information stored in the storage unit, the control unit stops transmitting the information and causes the storage unit to store the sequentially obtained information.

5. The information collection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The device further includes an information detection unit for detecting the information.

6. The information collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The device further includes an abnormality monitoring unit configured to output an OFF signal to the switch control unit when the main switch is not turned OFF even after an abnormality determination time set to be longer than the communication permission time has elapsed since the ignition switch was turned OFF.

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